Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Commentaries and Notes

Sometimes, certain comments are made that just need to be presented to the viewers of this blog in hopes that they themselves will share their thoughts..... So, as always, please speak your peace.

Anonymous said...

I'm curious to hear what you and others think about those without the attitude or those without "swagger" since there is a distinction being made between the two. A lot of people these days are using the concept of swagger as an ideal to be achieved--something that makes you cool. In other words, if you don't have swagger then you're not cool. A lot of times, this is based on how a person looks or what a person wears. I guess what I'm trying to get people to think about is: what is REALLY cool? Is it really about wearing the "right" accessories and wearing clean shoes?

4 comments:

Let me begin by thanking you for the comment. now right to it.... For starters, let me be clear in saying that this blog was never about "fashion"... it was and remains about style. Style trancends clothing, it goes into the fabric of your everyday life... how you carry yourself in public, in private, under the watchful eye or quick glance of another. Now the "dressing" plays a part.. but mind you I said a part. Let's be honest, the way you dress speaks volume about yourself... it shows a certain creativity and pride. I make no apologizes for either of the 2.

You said it sounded like if you didn't have swagger you weren't cool.... I will simply say that I'd rather have swagger than be cool... there is a difference. Swagger is being a gentleman/a lady, being considerate of others at all times (without being a fool or a push-over), Swagger is about confidence, it's about being comfortable in ones skin. Cool on the other hand has more to do with what the outside world sees...perceives.

In closing, I made it a point to have written and posted material on the side of the blog. The reason for that is to let all those who come to the blog understand... or simply remember that this is not just about photos, a look, but more importantly a lifestyle.

Cool is being who you are, letting YOUR style come to the surface. (If I wore what some people in the pics are wearing, I wouldn't look right, because I'm not them) It is being comfortable in who you are and being the best you that you can be. Fashion, in my opinion, is for lazy people who want to dress well. People who are slaves to fashion are not letting their style come through. When you are being you, the way you carry yourself changes, the way you think about yourself changes, this then affects the way you behave and act with others.

- cool is a perception of others based on how they see you; - swagger is a way of being that comes from a confidence within; - fashion pertains to the garments and accessories themselves; - style, in the fashion sense, is how you assemble and wear said garments and accessories

I see a correlation between fashion and style. And even swagger, fashion and style. But one can be cool without any of the other elements. Can you have swagger without fashion or style?

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SWAGGER

The thing that makes you stand out in a crowded room without being forced, fabricated or pretentious.Swagger is that smile in the face of adversity knowing that obstacles only make the road more interesting.SWAGGER 360 is for everyone who understands that there is a big difference between style and fashion. Fashion is what you buy, style is self expression and how you live.

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DO'S AND DON'TS OF THE GENTLEMAN

- A gentleman does not make idle threats.

- A gentleman does not brag.

- A gentleman does not whine.

-A gentleman knows how to use a dictionary.

-A gentleman accepts a compliment by saying, "Thank you. It's nice of you to tell me that." When a friend tells him, "That's a good-looking tie. Jim", a gentleman does not respond by saying "this old thing? I was almost ashamed to bring it out." Such remarks imply that the person paying the compliment has questionable taste.

- Whenever possible, a gentleman stays away from sore subjects.

from the book:How To Be A Gentlemanby: John Bridges

THINGS TO KNOW:

HOW TO POLISH A SHOE

1.

Wipe your shoes down with a damp cloth to remove any superficial dirt and stains.

2.

Wet the welt brush and scrub out the entire welt strip.

3.

Apply sole-edge dressing - carefully, if the shoe should need it. If you get it on the upper, it will strain them permanently. Let the edge dressing dry before moving to the next step.

4.

Apply polish, using a circular rubbing motion. No need to overdo it, no need to be too gentle. the more you rub, the better the final outcome. Let the polish dry, it'll take about 5 minutes.

5.

Buff the entire shoe with a polishing brush. for that extra touch, hold the shoe between your knees and both the shoe applying a little muscle using a lint-free cloth.

A GENTLEMAN'S ESSENTIALS

While big boys are measured by the size of their toys, Gentlemen are measured by a different set of standards. Without going into the semantics of who is a Gentleman (right now,) SWAGGER 360 will offer a list of ‘essentials’ for the modern day Gentleman.

-A pair of DRESS SHOES (1 black, 1 brown…. Gym shoes ARE NOT dress shoes no matter how much they cost.)

- A BESPOKE SUIT ( if you can’t do bespoke, at least bring your off the rack suit to a good tailor.)

- A good TAILOR

- A POWER WATCH (nothing speaks as loudly of a man as his watch…except everything else on this list.)

- A TOP COAT (Nothing looks more ridiculous than a man in a suit and bubble or leather coat.)

- A CARRYING BAG (Leave the back pack for the 23 and under crowd.)

- A FOUNTAIN PEN (When they said “the pen is mightier than the sword”, they weren’t talking about a ball point.)

- A MONEY CLIP and CARD HOLDER (Leave the wallet at home with all the unnecessary papers in it ….sleek is the word.)

- A WHITE DRESS SHIRT (Always have one of these ready, you can never go wrong with a crisp white shirt.)

LET'S TALK WINE (A MATTER OF TASTE) - lesson 101

Wine will fall under one of four major types: red, white, rose' (also called blush), and champagne. Generally when dining, the usual choices are either red or white. Champagne is in a category by itself and a story in itself as well. Rose is the least 'serious' between the four and generally advised for a fun day in the sun.

The first thing that distinguishes wine is the obvious ... the color, then the difference between sweet and dry wines, wine regions, and vintages.

THE COLOR

The main difference between red and white wine is that red wine contains skins, seeds, and stem. The reason these things are left in the making of red wine is to allow them to mix with the juice with maceration (woody bits) causing the finish product to contain tannin (the woody taste). It is precisely the tannin that allows red wine to acquire its complexity. as a rule of thumb, red wines are heavier and more complex than white wines. Because white wines tend to be sweeter and palatable, beginners are often guided towards them.

Anyone can make wine almost anywhere, but some places have obviously learned how to process their wine better than others. The Safest best are still France, Italy, California (the only place in America worth investing in ... wine-wise of course).

(of course these regions produce other wines, but it'll be up to you to sit and sip your way to full knowledge).

VINTAGES

Mother nature determines the great years and the average years. It is the weather that determines the amount of sugar in the grape juice, when it's picked, the kick and other characteristics. The rain that falls around the time of the harvest usually determines the amount of sugar in the grapes. Ultimately vintages are what experienced wine drinkers look for. Find out what years produced the best harvest and enjoy. Check out the chart of WINE ENTHUSIAST magazine www.wineenthusiast.com